Bo and Alice
by Roxie Seine
Summary: Let's just say this is all the stuff I had to cut out of Sparks. Two new chapters! A little Bo, Alice, Skouras and the Orchestra crew.
1. Chapter 1

Natalie led Alice through what was still a maze of boxes, and into the only room that was already completely decorated. Alice's sunshine yellow crib was against the wall, already laid out with her blue and white checkered bed quilt, and decorative white cotton and lace pillow. Her yellow bookshelf, rocking chair, and tea table were all placed appropriately around the room. Above the chair rail also the same sunshine buttery yellow, that ran the perimeter of the room, the wall was painted a sky blue. The ceiling, a cunning mural of sky with white floating clouds.

The mobile hanging above Alice's crib was only a slight contrast in palette, not theme. The mobile was of the solar system, dangling planets, small stars, around a central sun.

Natalie grinned with joy. "It's perfect," she breathed, stepping inside as if stepping into a fairy land.

"Dr. Skouras did a beautiful job with this room."

The rest of their space had been left to she and her husband to decorate and furnish as they saw fit. Natalie had only provided Skouras with a verbal description of Alice's old room back in France, with only that it was a simple blue and yellow.

Alice, her hand clasped about her mother's fingers, stared uncomprehendingly up at her mother.

"It is quite nice," her husband, Robert Pierreson, agreed as he came up behind her, glasses streaked with dust and sweat, another box upon his hip.

"What do you think, Alyssa?" Her mother cooed at her, Alice understanding only the happy smile, her other name, and the emotions coming from her mother. "This is your new room!"

"Are we doing immersion, then?" Robert asked.

Natalie's cheeks reddened with embarrassment, French not being her native language by any means.

"It was your idea not to confuse her with two languages," she reminded him.

"She is old enough now, she can begin learning English now."

"You know better than anyone that the child's brain-"

"My love, please do not tell me about my own job. I say she can begin now, and now it must be."

Natalie sighed. "She's stubborn. She'll reject it simply because it's different."

"She's a child, Natalie. She'll do what we tell her."

Natalie made a scoffing noise as her husband left the doorway, carrying a box to their bedroom.

"That's what you think," she muttered.

Placing Alice's hard, blue Samsonite luggage on the floor by the wall, Natalie continued to take in the room, while Alice did the same, solo.

"Cherie," Robert called. "I'm going to check in with the office here."

"Okay," she called back, hearing the front door open and close in response.

Having left her mother's side during her incomprehensible speech to explore the room, Alice's eyes and hands quickly fell to a box of large crayons. With a gurgle of joy she grabbed for one and ran to the white wall.

Hand poised, a red crayon just touching the wall, Natalie's eyes took in the scene. "Alice, no!" She yelled, starting forward.

"Non!" She repeated in French. "Ne faites pas!" She ordered, slapping Alice's hand so that the crayon fell to the floor. The look on Alice's face seemed to teter on whether to cry, or slap her mother back.

"You are not going to make a mess of this room!"

Not understanding the words, but knowing the tone well, Alice grasped that her mother was not pleased. But why else would there be an entire wall of white paper and a box of crayons if they weren't for using?

"Settling in already, I see." At the sound of a new voice, Alice froze.

Natalie stood and stepped forward with quick steps, her hands extended outward. Clasping Skouras' two hands in her own, a gesture she'd learned to do in the French village they'd just left, she smiled gratefully at him.

"This is simply beautiful, Dr. Skouras," she gushed.

"We're all so happy to have you here, Mrs. Pierreson. It was no trouble at all."

"And so thoughtful to have this room done so Alice can be out of the way."

Skouras offered only a humble head bow. "It was nothing, really, Natalie. May I call you, Natalie?"

Suddenly shy, her cheeks reddened. "Of course," she laughed self-conciously, brushed a chunk of hair behind her ear.

"And this," he looked past Natalie to the tiny toddler behind her, "must be Alice!"

He bent at the knee till he knelt on the floor and held a hand out to her.

Alice stared with wide eyes at the strange man, but stared in silent shock.

"She isn't used to strangers," Natalie was quick to apologize.

"I'm sure," Skouras murmered in response, his eyes not leaving Alice. Natalie quickly moved to stand behind Alice, nudging her forward. It wouldn't do for her to disappoint the man who'd made it possible to come back to America.

Being pushed from behind by her mother's hands, and Alice digging her heels into the floor resisting the idea, she quickly tumbled forward, nearly somersaulting over herself onto the floor. This getting her closer to the strange man, Alice desperately scrambled up, pulling on her mother's pant legs to gain leverage, then quickly waddled to stand behind her mother, just as she'd just done.

Skouras' laugh rang out.

"A little shy, I see."

Natalie bit back a smile and the words that her daughter was anything but shy, opting instead to say nothing about it. Then, worried that Skouras might somehow doubt Alice's abilities and send them all packing again, she quickly walked over to the tall dresser table, taking up the book that lay upon it. To demonstrate her daughter's strength, and justify Skouras' faith in them, she looked at Alice, who was quickly toddling after her and called,

"Alice, catch!" As she gently tossed the book in front of her daughter, carefully in case she did not catch it, so as it wouldn't appear that she were simply wilfully throwing things at her only child, like an abusive parent.

Alice stopped still, staring at her mother in shock as the book fell to the floor.

Natalie suddenly began to laugh.

"What is it?" Skouras asked.

"She wouldn't catch it," she gasped, trying to control her laughter and failing. "She said "I'm not a dog!", she laughed aloud, "she thought I was ordering her around like a dog!" Getting the words out she finally laughed until she needed to grab onto the dresser to keep herself from collasping onto the floor.

Skouras' eyes brightened. "You can hear your daughter's thoughts?"

"Of course," she answered with simple frankness. "And usually she would catch it. I think it was just unsettling to have someone else stare at her."

As if reading her own worries, Skouras replied, "My dear Natalie, you don't have to prove anything to me. Your husband, Dr. Pierreson, is an asset to this organization. And let's not forget I have already witnessed for myself the remarkable powers that your daughter has-"

"Well, yes," Natalie interuppted. "But when she didn't know anyone was watching."

"That's quite all right," he smiled confidently up at her, still kneeling on the floor as he was, "once she gets to know me, I'm sure we'll all be one big, happy family."


	2. Chapter 2

A loud noise was bothering her dream. Natalie tried to tune it out, but the sound kept on. It wasn't Alice crying, so she ignored it and went back to sleep.

"Natalie?"

She woke up then, recognizing the voice, and realizing the sound was someone knocking at the door. "Oh, god," she groaned, putting a hand to her face, then thought about throwing the pillow over her head. Eyes still closed, she reached out a hand to the other side of the bed, hoping Robert would deal with this. The other side of the bed was empty.

Damn you and your productive job, she cursed.

"Natalie, are you home? It's Dr. Skouras."

"I know that," she grumbled, "why do you think I'm not running to the door?"

He knocked again. Natalie opened her eyes finally, and glanced at the clock. Nine thirty.

"Damn it," she cursed, rolling out of bed, and grabbed her robe.

Tying the sash, she rubbed at her bleary eyes as she made her way half-blind to the front door. It was no small feat, considering how disoriented she was, and the fact that she found herself indeed in completely unfamiliar surroundings. She and Robert had been up till past midnight unpacking boxes, but the place still looked like a disaster area.

When she tripped over an errant box she swore, stumbled, and got to the door, finally.

Opening it she saw a far too cheery Skouras, looking like a school boy on Sunday. She squinted and blinked. Staring at him was like looking at the sun.

"What is it, Dr. Skouras?" She mumbled the words and only belatedly hoped he wouldn't think she was drunk.

Skouras' face showed embarrassment before his words did. "I'm sorry Natalie, I forgot about the time difference. You must be terribly jet-lagged."

Sorry enough to leave?

"But-"

Nope.

"I was wondering if you and Alice would like to join us in the community dining room for breakfast."

He was way too happy about this. Way too cheery. Natalie wondered if he didn't also manufacture some sort of drugs as well.

She was going to just say flat out no, then remembered Alice. Having a child had proven to be an awfully good excuse for things. If you wanted to go somewhere, you simply say you need to get something for your child. If you don't want to go somewhere, you say that your child is napping or sick.

How can I use Alice to get out of this?

Just then Alice came walking into the room like a groggy tettering drunk, or, as it happened, like a toddler who hadn't mastered walking, yawned, and stopped in surprise to see a strange man at the door. She looked at her mother, then at the man, made a dramatic groan of annoyance and placed her hand on her forehead as if she had a pounding headache. Natalie choked down laughter at Alice's comic display, then watched as she then walked towards her and threw her little body at their side of the door. To her happy surprise she realized that Alice was trying to close the door on Skouras, and that she was actively responding to Natalie's own thoughts of wanting the man gone.

As the door began to close on him, Natalie said apologetically, "Maybe we should try another time. I don't think Alice got enough sleep last night."

Dr. Skouras waved away the fake apology with a hand and nodded. "Of course," he answered, still smiling too damn much.

Before he could say another word, Alice slammed the door in his face. Shoving her fist in her mouth so she didn't laugh aloud, Natalie did nothing to stop her.

Alice laughed so hard she fell to the floor, tickled by her mother's internal laughter, if not understanding the reason for it.

Once Skouras had left, Natalie began to laugh, too. When she'd exhausted herself she sat on the carpeted floor in her robe and stared at Alice. It was true that having a baby that could read your mind did come in helpful, like when she wanted to sleep in, or when she wanted Alice to be quiet.

However, as Alice had grown older, she could read more than just simple emotions like exhaustion and joy. She'd just managed to come to her mother's rescue and do exactly what Natalie had wanted to do- slam the door in Skouras' face.

Looking at Alice, Natalie was already sure she was reading her mother's fear of her mind reading, and that Natalie was currently wondering about the damage her kid could do

Alice began to laugh the laugh of a maniacal evil cartoon villain, because that was what her mother was thinking about.

"Oh god Alice," Natalie spoke, "you're gonna be trouble."

Alice grinned in answer, her eyes shining with what Natalie swore was anticipation.


	3. Chapter 3

(Pronunciation help- note French is not my forte, but I'm trying. Salut-Sahloo. Beau-Bo. The rest are easy enough.

"Salut, Alice!"

Alice stood stock-still in the middle of the living room floor as the man Mama didn't like walked in through the front door, and pocketed the key, before placing the packages in his hands on the coffee table in the living room.

'I see your mother left for a little bit."

Uncomprehending, Alice stared as the man nodded to the girl Mama had told her would watch her. The girl left and closed the door behind her.

Bothered by this, Alice stared wide-eyed ready to begin screaming. She opened her mouth to do just that when something caught her eye.

"I brought this for you Alice," Skouras smiled at her, opening one of the packages and holding out an iced chocolate cupcake in one hand, then a brightly wrapped package in the other.

Not used to gifts, Alice kept her mouth open, but this time it wasn't to scream.

"Wado!" She crowed, reaching out with her hands to the present in Skouras' left hand.

He chuckled and grinned. "Yes, Alice the cadeau is for you. C'est pour toi, cherie!"

Alice reached for it again, but Skouras pulled it back, saying as he did so, "Alice, tu me connasaie? Tu sais mon nom, Alice?"

Alice shook her head. Skouras smiled again as he said, "Je m'appelle Roman. Je veut etre ton Oncle Roman. Est-ce que tu l'aime ca?"

Alice nodded, but it wasn't certain if it was in answer, to an attempt to get the gift.

"Alice, dit Oncle Roman." He smile.

Alice stared at him.

"Dit, Ro-man" He pronounced the word slowly.

"Wo," she began, "min."

Having placed both bribes on the floor Skouras grinned and clapped his hands in a joyous manner.  
"Tres bien! Tres, tres bien Alice! Je sais que tu peux l'dire!"

"Dites, "Oncle"," he began again, looking steadily into her blue eyes.

"Onc," she repeated.

"Roman," he finished.

"Wo-min," she whispered.

Skouras smiled. "Oncle Roman."

"Onc Wo-min!"

Skouras drew her to him in a hug, kissing her on both cheeks, in a manner she'd be accostumed to.

"Tres bien! Tu veut mange de petite gateau avec ton Oncle Roman?"

Wide eyed, she nodded widly.

"Est-ce que tu veux ouvrir ton cadeau ou mange de gateau le premiere?"

Alice bit her lip and concentrated, demonstrating her understanding of language to be greated than her ability to speak it audibly. But that was not problem for Skouras. He figured she'd be speaking well in both French and English soon.

"De gateau," she answered.

"Tres bien, Alice," he smiled and handed her the entire cupcake. Not bothering with utensils, Alice simply opened her mouth and began to eat the cupcake. The cupcake being nearly as large as her head, she succeeded in smearing its frosting all over her face before her mouth was actually able to bite down into the cake itself. White frosting hung off her nose and cheeks, with several chunks clinging to the curls about her face.

Roman Skouras laughed. "It looks more like the cupcake is trying to eat you Alice, than vise versa."

Alice looked at him and laughed.

When she finally admitted defeat with only half the cupcake devoured, Skouras held up the present he had for her.

Eager, if getting sleepy, Alice made a grab for the gift, shredding its wrappings easily and with delight. Skouras helped her lift the box's lid, then sat back and watched as Alice picked up a stuffed multi-colored butterfly, a stuffed brown rabbit, and a stuffed toy turtle.

He grinned in pure happiness watching Alice's joy in her eyes as she stared, her eyes and mouth all wide and round as saucers.

Finally she tried to embrace all the toys at once, sending them flying through the air.

"Beaux! Beaux! Beaux!" She shrieked the word, and continuing to shriek in joy she clapped her hands and screamed with excitement watching the toys float around in the air.

"Beaux!" She screamed, standing up and facing the nearest toy, the butterfly.  
"Beaux!" She yelled at it, and shrieked when it flew up higher. "Beaux!"

She ran up to the rabbit, now resting on the ground. She stomped her foot in front of it, and cried out again, "Beaux!" Thinking the word was a command and the reason for this unusual display. As expected, the rabbit jumped up into the air to once again join the butterfly.

She ran up to the turtle that had landed on the floor. Grabbing it with both hands she threw it up into the air. She jumped up. "Beaux!" She cried, and jumped again. "Beaux!" And jumped again yelling louder, "Beaux!"

With the third jump and exclaimation, Alice rose into the air with the turtle, just as she was grabbing for it.

Amazed at this magic, Alice simply stared wide-eyed as she floated through space, as weightless as her new toys.

"Yes," Skouras' eyes were bright watching this unexpected display of power, "they are nice. I don't know if I'd use the word handsome. American girls would say pretty, and they'd use the feminine form for just about everything so the French equivelent would be "belle".

Rising from the floor, slightly misty-eyed at this extreme display of power, Skouras gently reached out to control where Alice floated to, as well as to catch her when her powers stopped working and she fell.

From above him, she looked down and answered him. "Non, beaux."

"Whatever you say. You are a very strong little girl, Alice," he muttered, smiling into the face that smiled back at him.

Alice pointed and grabbed for the toys as they floated past her.

"Mein Beaux!" She announced with certainty as she grabbed and held the stuffed turtle.

Skouras laughed. "Yes," he kissed her curled hair, "they're yours. Everything here is yours, little Alice. Everything."

He sighed and held her to him, though she was still weightless in the air.

"Oh the things you will be able to do," he spoke the words quietly as if making a promise to himself.

The front door creaked open then, and rapid footsteps were heard.

"Doctor Skouras," Natalie stepped forward and reached for Alice, not bothering to hide her alarm, "What are you doing here? How did you get into our house?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You told him I was anti-social?"

"Well, I had to think of something, didn't I?"

"Your genius brain couldn't come up with something better than that?"

Robert and Natalie were sitting in their living room, after having lunch and having put Alice down for a nap. Robert had made the mistake of speaking to Dr. Skouras about his wife's reaction to finding him in their home, and had explained Natalie's cold reception of Skouras of late to her innately anti-social behavior. He'd then made the mistake of telling his wife about it.

"Certainly." He answered her sarcastic response with honesty. "I could have told him the truth. I could have told him that you compared him to a Jehovah's Witness, a jailer, and that he annoyed you like a yapping dog by coming to the door and expecting you to pay attention to him, his wanting you to participate in the program."

Natalie sighed sharply.

"He broke into our house!"

"He had a key."

"To our house!"

"His house, Natalie, his property. We are living here on his whim, be grateful. And he was here to check on Alice."

Natalie rolled her eyes and sighed with disgust, holding the latest issue of Cosmo magazine up over her face. She wasn't reading it, she was using it so she wouldn't have to look at Robert, who she'd been extremely pissed off at since last night, when he'd had no reaction to finding out that Roman Skouras had been alone in their house with Alice.

"Oh, pardonez-moi, what I intended to say is, he wanted to see Alice." He paused. "Is that what really bothers you? That he cares more for Alice than for you? Don't forget that she is the reason we are here."

_He might care more about me if I were stupid enough to show all my powers to him._

"And would it kill you to participate in some of the activities with the other residents here?"

Natalie made a screeching sound. "What? You want me to play those stupid tests with the mindless people here? One of the idiots here talked to me like I was younger than Alice!" She changed her voice to match the woman's, its sickening patronizing and sing song tone. "Natalie," she mimicked, "would you like to make this block float for me?"

_She'd been holding Alice by two hands in the hall, as they'd been exploring the inner campus buildings._

_Natalie's mouth had dropped open in shock at how infantiliazing the woman was being. It was as if the woman had asked if she could recite the alphabet._

_Alice seemed to recover before she did. Throwing the palm of her hand to her forehead, Alice closed her eyes and groaned as if in pain, shaking her head wildly. "Tupide, tupide, tupide," she muttered. Natalie barely managed to choke back her laughter._

_Stooping to pick Alice up, Natalie began walking sideways away from the woman. "No thanks," she answered. "Try that on the kids. Unless," she corrected herself, "you actually meant that question for Alice here."_

_"I thought she didn't speak English yet." _

_"She barely speaks anything at all."_

_"Then no," the woman answered. "I was asking the question of you, Mrs. Pierreson." _

_"In that case, definitely no," she answered, and hurried away down the hall with Alice._

"Natalie!" Robert was offended.

"No," Natalie answered quickly, "these people are brain dead if they don't realize they're being tested like lab rats! Yet, they all wear these stupid smiles, like Skouras is doing them a favor, and they're grateful."

"They are grateful," Robert's voice was terse. "They have a place to live and food to eat. They are surrounded by others like them. They are stigmatized or institutionalized for their powers. They aren't punished for being themselves. I'm sure if you thought about yourself, you'd realize how lucky you are-compared to some other people."

The crack about her mother and Nina both being instatutionalized didn't go unnoticed. Natalie glared at him.

"I didn't know we were moving here so that my every move could be watched, and have people, oh I mean Dr. Skouras come knocking at the door every morning like Room Service. There's no such thing as privacy here. I'm sure this room is bugged, with cameras everywhere."

"Don't be so dramatic," he chidded. "I thought you were happy to be coming here."

Natalie rolled her eyes and loudly flipped another page of Cosmo. "Happy to be coming back to America, yes," she answered tersely, "happy to be here? Now that we're here and know what this place is all about? No."

"I didn't sign up to be in a jail. To be a test subject."

"Natalie, don't over-react."

"I see you!" She threw down the magazine and looked up at him. "I see what you do in those offices! You test those teens and those mindless adults like lab rats!"

Robert sighed as if both exhausted and grieved by his wife's lack of insight. "Simple tests, Natalie. If these people don't learn to control their powers they could do themselves a great harm."

Natalie eyed him seriously. "These people?!" Her voice cracked. "You sure he hasn't done these tests on you?"

"Are you implying something, my dear?"

"Yes, my dear," Natalie's tone was acidic. "You sound an awful lot like Skouras."

"Doctor Skouras," he corrected.

"If this place isn't a jail, why can't I leave?"

"Where would you go? There is nothing but trees and forest for miles. Not to mention wild animals. There are bears in these woods," he reminded her.

"I think I'd be safer with the bears," Natalie grumbled, burying her face once again, behind her magazine.

PAGE BREAK ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Once Alice was awake in her crib, and Robert had gone back to work as a minion of Skouras, Natalie decided that she and Alice would go exploring. Natalie was eager to get away for a while, and a walk with Alice proved to be the perfect solution.

Alice, strapped into her canvas stroller, Natalie walked along the paved walk ways that went in front of their house. From this vantage-point it was easy to see the forest, mere steps away, but nothing could be seen through the trees. Even so, she knew that the entire campus was in the middle of a dense forest, likely one of the few left on the continent. A road was there, somewhere within the mass of trees, but it was private, constucted for Skouras' ease. Even so, it was a good ten minute drive before one hit the main highway that bi-sected the forest, several miles away.

When Natalie looked to her right, she could see the main campus building, where most of the super people hung out during the day, the adjacent attached campus buildings that held classrooms and observation rooms, and further down the dormatory wings, and other campus buildings like the infirmary. Skouras' helicopter was visible was well, at a distance that was just discernable.

"Mrs. Pierreson?"

Natalie stopped still, on the rise of a hill now, having gone off the paved trail to explore.

Turning around she saw a young woman walking towards her at a calm but rapid pace. She was smiling congenially. Natalie knew better than to believe the lie.

_Oh god._ She closed her eyes so her rolling them wasn't visible.

The woman smiled extending a hand to shake as she reached her. Natalie acquiesed, reluctantly.

"I'm Angela." She kept smiling. Natalie found it unnerving.

The new minion of Skouras glanced into Alice's stroller, her smile broadening.

"I see you're taking Alice out for a walk?"

Natalie couldn't tell why the woman was there, but she knew it wasn't for a good reason. Biting back an acerbic response, she managed to answer simply, "Yes."

"That's wonderful!"

_Lie._

"But," Angela Annoying tilted her head to the side like a dog, and gave Natalie a disapproving smile, "I'm afraid perhaps some of Symponique's rules haven't been explained to you."

With a pitying look she continued. "You see, we do encourage physical activity here, of course, but what with our location we feel it simply isn't safe to simply wander at will-as you seem to be doing. We like to have everyone where we can easily see them and have access to them, should they ever need medical attention."

"Like a playground." Natalie just stared hard at her in disbelief. But, this crazy Angela chick kept yapping.

"Exactly!" Angela looked relieved as if Natalie's answer were indicating agreement.

"We like to have everyone enjoy their physical activity, walks, whathaveyou, just behind the main campus building. There are games, and plenty of room for a walk."

Natalie gave her a terse smile. "I don't want to walk over there."

"I understand, Mrs. Pierreson, really. But we do have to think of the others here. If they saw you walking around outside the given parameters, they'd want to do the same."

"Christ, that's anarchy."

Angela laughed as if Natalie'd been joking and not showing her utter disapproval.

At that, Alice slapped her hand to her forehead and groaned, shaking her head back and forth.

"Oh," Angela Idiot grinned down at Alice, "she is so cute. You're so cute, Alice, you know that?"

As she drew nearer to Alice in a crouch, Alice drew back against her stroller, getting away.

"Tu tupide." She answered.

Angela smiled. "That's so cute!" She looked at Natalie. "What did she say?"

At this Natalie gave a genuine smile. "She said you're cute, too."

At that, Alice cackled with wild laughter, kicking her feet against the rail of the stroller.

Angela straightened back up and looked at Natalie, continuing her speech.

"So, you see we really can't have you walking around here."

"What about the paved trail?"

"That's not a walking trail. As I said we'll need you to only be outside in the courtyard. It's one of the reasons your 'house' is connected to the main unit by a hallway- that way you don't ever have to go outside to go anywhere."

"Oh, golly."

Finally, tired of the charade, Natalie was frank. "Look Angela, let me tell you how it's gonna be. I'm going to be an adult, and I'm going to be responsible for myself and my child and I'm pretty much gonna do whatever the hell I want. I hope that suits you."

With that she spun around and began wheeling Alice to the other side of the grass, back nearer the house, intentionally staying far from the walkway.

"And Natalie," Angela called after her. "We need to talk about the uniform-"

"I don't work here, this isn't a private school, and if it were I'm not enrolling. I'm gonna wear what I want, and my kid's gonna wear what I want her to wear. We're not wearing that ugly shit you give to the mental masses."


	5. Chapter 5

I'm all, the Alice thing will take like, 3 chapters. Then we can move on to Bo stuff. The story's all NO! I'm gonna make it take like 10 million chapters! Ugh.

Story-

"Alice," Natalie called. "C'est temp de releve. Le dodo fini."

She said this as she opened the nursery door, and stepped inside. When she saw an empty crib, Natalie wasn't too concerned. She simply reached out with her mind to see where in the room her daughter was hiding.

She wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. Realizing that someone had taken Alice from her crib while Natalie herself had been napping, Natalie panicked.

Flinging their house door open, Natalie ran down the hall like a woman possessed. Searching out her child with her mind, she ran past the lounge and into the medical ward. Her shoes pounding against the stone hall floor, she shoved people and carts out of her way, blond hair flying behind her. She passed another room, then stopped and turned back.

Alice was sitting on top of a table. A strange man in a white coat stood next to her, a hand to her back. The other stacking alphabet blocks. Another glance showed both Dr. Skouras and her own husband standing in windowed room attached to this, watching. Then Natalie saw the wires coming out of her child's head, attached to her skin.

With a scream of fury and terror, Natalie yanked the door open.

"Get away from my daughter!" She screamed, scooping Alice into her arms and yanking the tangle of wires from her head with one swift pull. Holding Alice to her protectively, she ran from the room.

"Natalie!"

She heard Robert's voice, now far behind her as she headed to the closest exit, a locked fire door.

She head Skouras' voice too. "Make your wife stop," he spoke coldly. "I want Alice back here."

"Natalie, stop!" He yelled.

And that's when Natalie knew she needed to either kill the man she was married to, or divorce him. Coming up to the door, she blew it open with her mind, ignoring her promise not to show the full strength of her powers around Roman Skouras. Without breaking her stride she continued to run across the lawn, intent on reaching the forest, nearly a quarter mile away.

"Can't leave here my ass," she muttered, instantly making herself and Alice disappear into thin air.

A few moments later, Natalie, not having made herself travel via floating, let alone travel a great distance while invisible and doing the same for another body, reappeared.

She was still holding Alice clutched tightly. Looking behind her, Symphonique couldn't be seen, but, the outline of a road was just ahead. Knowing that time was of the essence, she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind in order to time her next move perfectly.

At the right moment she made herself and Alice appear at the side of the road. Natalie stuck out her thumb, hitch-hiker style, and the truck coming around the bend stopped. Natalie was glad of this, but had planned to stop the truck if its driver wasn't so inclined.

"Stranded, eh?" A deep cheery voice sounded from the bed of the truck. Natalie tossed Alice up on the seat, then pulled herself up next to her and slammed the door.

"You might say that," she breathed, winded and exhausted.

"You headed to town?"

She simply nodded.

The man didn't say another word the rest of the drive. When they got to a cobblestone street lined with vintage facade businesses, Natalie simply pointed her finger a block away from what she hoped was a bank and said,

"Right here is our stop, sir."

The man nodded, his green nylon cap nodding with him. The car squealed to a stop, as Natalie opened the door of the truck. It creaked in protest, but swung open, allowing Natalie to reach over for Alice, who'd sat silently the whole time as well, and hop down from the truck.

"Thanks so much!" She called, smiling, and slammed the door shut. The old truck rolled away, leaving Natalie and Alice alone.

Too tired to carry Alice, Natalie put her down on the ground, and listlessly led her by the hand across the street and into a small grassy area with benches. When they'd been sitting for a while, Natalie perked up and announced,

"I know what we need to do!"

As she stood up, Alice climbed down from the bench, still silent, and took Natalie's hand.

Without explanation Natalie walked them down to the bank. Just across the street she paused and closed her eyes. After only a moment she opened them, and tightening her grip on Alice's hand, she led her across the street with a joyous, confident step. As she picked Alice up to get her over the curb, she mentally made one of Alice's shoes come undone. Then, placing her back down, she again took up her daughter's hand and continued on to the bank.

At the west wall of the bank, the side with no windows, Natalie stopped walking and pointed down at Alice's foot, exclaiming, "Alice, your shoelace is untied! I better tie it so you don't lose your shoe."

By now Alice had figured out that something was up. But, not able to decipher it, she remained silent and stuck out her foot so that her shoe could be tied.

Natalie knelt down in the grass, using one hand on the bank wall to steady herself, then she placed her purse on the ground as well so as to keep it from falling forward. Thus unencombered it was easy work to tie the shoe. She stayed as she was kneeled on the ground, and closed her eyes as she checked Alice's other shoe. In a moment she opened her eyes and reached for her purse. Lifting it onto her shoulder, she used the wall again and Alice's shoulder to steady herself as she stood up.

"Now," she smiled at Alice, "we can tell people that you got to visit the bank today. Le banc," she repeated in French.

Taking up Alice's hand again, she led her around to the front of the building, and through the heavy glass doors.

"Hi," the teller smiled, "and what can I do for you today?"

"I just wanted to bring my daughter in to see what a bank looks like," Natalie smiled back and lifted Alice up so that she could be seen.

"Oh, she's adorable!" The teller gushed and reached for a glass jar to her right. "What's her name?"

"Nina."

"Nina," the teller smiled, "would you like a lollypop?"

Alice still didn't know much english but she had learned the words for candy. While she didn't like being called the wrong name, she nodded eagerly.

"Red or purple?"

The woman held up two lollypops of different colors. Concentrating hard, Alice knew she just had to say the same word or words back to get the prize.

"Wed!" She yelled. It was easier to say than the other word.

Natalie grinned with joy and Alice could feel her happiness, but her mom didn't say anything.

The woman handed Alice the red lollypop and Natalie put her back down on the floor. "Thank you so much," she smiled at the teller as she began to lead Alice ahead of her to the doors.

"Happy to help," the teller called back.

Back outside however, Natalie gave a shrill squeal and spun Alice around in the air.

"You spoke English! Good girl!"

She squeezed her tight in a hug before putting her down on the sidewalk.

"Wed," Alice repeated, liking the sound of it.

"Here," Natalie grabbed for the sucker, "let me get the plastic off." She undid the candy and handed it back to Alice. "Don't choke on that now."

Alice grabbed the sweet and put it in her mouth.

"Wed!" She cried around the sucker as she jumped forward on the sidewalk.

"Wed! Wed! Wed! Wed!"

She jumped down the walk, until Natalie pulled on her hand.

"Stop it, you'll choke," she ordered, reining Alice in at her side.

They walked on through the streets of the downtown in silence for a while. Finally Natalie looked down at Alice, still grinning and sticky with red sugar sweet all over her hands and face.

"Now we need to find a car that's for sale."

Alice looked at her, confused wonder why she could no longer understand the words her mother spoke.


	6. Chapter 6

Natalie let out a sudden scream, and Alice felt herself pulled backward until she fell.

Looking up, she saw that a tall man had run into them, coming from the other direction.

"Sorry lady," he muttered, avoiding eye contact, and continued on his way.

"Well, hello to you, too," Natalie scoffed, letting out her breath finally, as she helped Alice to her feet.

"You okay sweetie?" She looked into Alice's blue eyes and over her white skin for injuries or blood. Seeing none, she relaxed slightly.

But Alice wasn't paying any attention to her mother at all. She was watching that man that had run into them. Alice stared hard, confused by something. Then she closed her eyes and tried to figure out just what it was that confused her.

A swift smack on the head was an answer, though not what she'd been looking for.

"Stop that!" Natalie hissed. "Remember what I told you, you only do that when we're alone! You'll get in big trouble and maybe even get arrested. People will chase you down!"

Alice didn't understand a single word or phrase other than the physical reproach, and "stop it", her mother used that with her often enough to understand it meant she was doing something her mother didn't like. That, and she'd better stop unless she wanted to get hit again.

Alice looked in the direction the man had gone. Now he was tinier than her finger. Finally her face lit up with understanding.

"Bo!"

"What?" Her mother looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

Alice pointed eagerly at the figure of the man quickly dissappearing from view.

"Bo!" She repeated, jumping up and down with excitement.

Natalie looked at her daughter with revulsion. "You think that guy's cute?" Her voice was shrill and heavy with disapproval.

Not understanding a word Alice simply nodded and smiled, pointing. "Bo!"

Natalie shook her head. "You've got strange taste in men, Alice," her voice was grave. "That loser looked like he just fell off a train or something," again she shook her head until it seemed it might fly off. "Guys like that are nothing but trouble."

With that, she grabbed Alice's sticky hand and pulled her along beside her, still intent on finding a car with a for sale sign.

"Don't let me ever catch you trying to bring home someone like that," Natalie's voice droned on. "Like bringing home a stray dog with rabies you think you can save." Natalie gave a short snort of derision then a laugh. "Like your Aunt Nina. Good lord, talk about a lost cause. Thinks she can save everyone. Know what happens to girls like that?"

Her mother'd stopped talking, so Alice finally looked at her.

"They get used and abused their whole lives."

"Don't be like that, Alice. Guys like that will ruin your whole life."

Alice had stopped listening when she realized her mother wasn't speaking in French. Instead, trying to make her mother understand what she was thinking, she pulled at Natalie's purse and smiled. That got her mother's attention. She stopped talking and looked down at her.

Alice pulled at her mother's purse, then pointed back at the man.

"Mama, Bo!"

"What?"

She tugged harder at the purse and pointed with emphasis at the man walking away.

"Alice," Natalie struggled to remain patience, but was nearing the end of her own, "I don't know what you're talking about. Come on," with that she pulled Alice along behind her.

Using her mind, it didn't take Natalie long to find a car in the neighborhood with a price tag attached to it. The price was right, and if the thing worked, Natalie figured she might as well take it. After all, she wasn't strong enough to really teleport herself anywhere, let alone herself and Alice.

When she rang the bell, a grandmotherly woman answered the door with a smile.

"Can I help you dear?"

Natalie couldn't help smiling back. "I was wondering about the car you have for sale."

"Oh!" The woman's eyes lit up. "That! Yes, of course. It still runs just fine, my husband always saw to that, but," she sighed heavily, "now that he's not here you see, I don't have need for it. I don't drive, myself. There's no need to in a town this size."

The woman stopped talking and eyed Natalie and Alice.

"But you're not from here."

"No," Natalie answered with a shake of the head. "I was wondering if you'd let me take it for a little test drive?"

"Of course dear," the woman smiled, lifting a key from a nail in the wall, letting Natalie take it, then placing a hand on Alice's shoulder. "You take a spin around, and I'll keep the little girl here. There's no car seat in a car so old, and I don't see that you've brought one with you."

Smart. The woman was smart. With an understanding smirk, Natalie pushed Alice towards the old woman.

"Stay here, Alice," she ordered. "Mama will be back soon."

As she walked to the car she thought to herself, that woman's no fool. Keeping my kid for collateral isn't a bad idea. Don't return the car, don't get the kid back.

When she'd closed the car door after herself, she opened up her purse, looking at the wrapped stacks of hundred dollar bills. And in that instant she realized why Alice had been pulling at her purse while pointing to the guy who'd knocked them over. They'd both just finished robbing the same bank.

It's not the same thing, she told herself as she drove down the roads and highways. I'm doing this to protect myself and my daughter from this insane cult. He's just stealing because he's a greedy idiot who's too lazy to work.


	7. Chapter 7

"Alicina,"

Alice Adams felt a hand brush against her cheek, and heard a voice calling her.

"Alice- Nina, Alice girl, wake up baby."

Realizing the voice was unknown, Alice opened her eyes.

Outlined by the bars of her crib in the afternoon light, and the shadow cast by the crib's mobile, Alice saw a woman with blonde curls and dark brown eyes leaning over her.

She smiled at her. "Hi sweetheart," she smiled in a way that was somewhat conspiritorial. "You can see me, can't you?"

Alice kept staring at her. For a minute she'd thought it was Mama, but that wasn't so. She didn't look like Mama and didn't talk like Mama. Young Alice concentrated, trying to figure it out. This person knew her, so she should know this person as well.

The woman ran a hand over her hair. "You have my curls, your mother's temper already, and coloring like Nina. All your family, the important ones anyway, are all reflected in your own little face."

Finally after staring a long long time, Alice grinned. "Gamma!"

White teeth gleamed and her eyes crinkled with a smile.

"I knew you'd know me!"

The nursery door creaked on its hinges.

"Mom?"

Alice perked up at the sound of her mother's voice, and saw her staring in shock at the woman standing over Alice's crib.

"Mom!"

Alice had pushed herself up to sitting, grabbing the bars of the crib, and saw her mother run to Gamma, but the other woman held up a hand.

"If you try to hug me, you'll end up on the floor, dear."

Alice watched her mother freeze in place.

"So you are dead." Natalie sighed. "I had a feeling."

"Yes, it appears that way."

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't believe it took my own death to allow me to see my own grandchild. What possessed you to go half way around the world to-"

"I got married, Mom."

"Yes, and left your poor sister to fend for herself."

"Sorry," she sighed. "It was for her own good, trust me. It would've hurt too much if I stayed."

"I understand how difficult my leaving was for you two, and what happened to me and to Nina scares you. But I cannot forgive you for leaving Nina, you don't have my excuse."

"She was twenty-two years old!"

"A baby!" Alice watched her Gamma's face darken as she objected. "You're hardly more than one yourself," she added, "though you won't realize that till your nearer my age. "

A silence fell then, that neither bothered to break. Natalie's mother ran a hand over Alice's head.

"You see it in her already, don't you?" Mrs. Adams was looking at Alice.

Reaching into the crib, Mama picked her up and nodded.

Bringing the conversation back, Mrs. Adams asked, "And have you spoken with your sister since coming back to the states?"

She shrugged. "I called to make sure she was okay. She said she was going away for a while-not back into treatment- she found a new place and wouldn't be able to call me for a while."

Mrs. Adams shook her head. "Wouldn't you know but she's paired up with a man who acts exactly like you. Some form of rebellion, I'm sure." She shook her head again. "But at least you've got some sense about you." She shook her head ruefully announcing with a cryptic tone, "That one's gonna end up in prison."

"I can't do anything about who she dates, Mom."

Alice wriggled out of her mother's arms and put her hands on the rail of her crib. "Bore. Down now."

The older woman laughed. "Barely knows English, but still a willful little thing."

"You have no idea," Natalie answered as she placed Alice back in her crib.

"I raised you, didn't I?"

Natalie's face reddened, but glad to have someone to vent to, she spoke up.

"She says she wants cookies, I tell her she can't have any. Five seconds later she's chomping away on the cookies I said she couldn't have, because she made them float down from their spot in the cupboard."

"She doesn't like it when you say no to her."

"Little kids shouldn't be allowed to have super powers," Natalie grumbled with firm conviction.

Mrs. Adams laughed aloud. "Now you know what it felt like raising you. It's every parents' revenge to have a grandchild to plaugue their children to death."

"But I didn't have such strong powers."

"No, but your stubborn will more than made up for it, you'd climb up on anything to get to something you wanted."

"And speaking of powers, my goodness Natalie, this place you've gotten yourself to is like a prison!"

"No it isn't."

"Although," she continued speaking as if her daughter hadn't spoken, "I suppose I should be grateful. Maybe Alice and Bo won't have to go through what I did. They say gifts like this skip a generation."

"Bo? Who's Bo? That Nina's boyfriend?"

smiled at her daughter. "You'll find out soon enough, I suspect. Can't be more than a few months, I think."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Mrs. Adams sighed again. "I'm sorry love, but I have to leave you now. Don't worry," she assured her, "when Alice is older she'll be able to explain a lot of this to you."

Natalie laughed. "What could she possibly tell me that I don't already know?"

Mrs. Adams just smiled, then looked down and addressed her granddaughter. "You be a good girl, Alice Nina."

Alice simply gave what could only be described as an evil grin and waved happily at the departing image of her grandmother.

With Mrs. Adams gone, Natalie turned to her daughter with suspicion. "You know what she's talking about, don't you?"

Alice grinned and gave an evil laugh, happy to have a secret from her mother.


	8. Chapter 8

"This certainly explains a lot," Skouras muttered as if speaking only to himself, "or at least, it will."

With a pen he circled a line of dashes. "Genetic marker right here," he muttered again, pointing with his pen.

"Nina's marker here." Another circle.

"Bo's markers are here," another series of highlighting, "and here".

He glanced again at the print-out that caught his interest initially, nodding at it, then passed it across the table.

"File it."

"With Bo's documentation?" Corey asked this, but was already begining to place the image in Bo's file folder, after having replaced Bo's genetic test image back.

"No," Skouras answered, annoyed and shook his head. "Under T for Tate."

"He gets his own file?"

"He may not be living here yet, but under the circumstances, he should have his own file."

Corey bobbed his head. "Yes, Dr. Skouras."

Skouras switched on the monitor and smiled as the image of a sleeping Bo Adams appeared, floating in mid air over her crib. Annoyed that Corey was still in the room, he spat out, "I believe you have work to do, Corey, as do I."

"Yes, Dr. Skouras."

Skouras didn't look after him as he meekly walked to the exit.

Once Corey left, Roman let out an audible sigh, and opened his wallet. He sighed again when his eyes fell on Alice's photo. And again when he flipped the wallet closed. And again when he stared at floating, sleeping Bo.

"Where are you, Alice? In all this world, I cannot believe you're gone. I will not believe it. I will do whatever it takes to bring you back to me."

Then he looked at Bo and smiled an evil smile. If he knew anything at all about Alice... there was one thing that was sure to bring her out of the woodwork. She'd shown her powers to be strongest when protecting someone else. But, he considered, his idea would take time. And very careful planning. After all, it wouldn't be long until Milton Winter went the way of Robert Pierreson and his wife. In the meantime, he would learn every useful thing he could about Bo Adams, and simply wait. It wouldn't do to harm the girl Alice considered her best friend.

With another rather forelorn sigh, Skouras rose to his feet, announcing to the image, "I am not a patient man."

For the millionth time since misplacing Alice, Roman Skouras closed his eyes tightly and focused his entire being on a mental image of himself and Alice, and repeated the same phrase he always used.  
_"Alice, where are you? It's Uncle Roman, can you hear me? Can you still hear my thoughts? Where are you? Come home, Alice. I miss you. I love you. Come home. Find me." _

What he told his workers was another matter entirely. Both Symphonique and Orchestra were looking for girls Alice's age who were orphans, and perhaps exhibited either mental problems or strange beliefs of power. With each passing year, Skouras changed the age range and limits accordingly. However, only the staff at Symphonique knew that they were specifically looking for Alice Adams. It had been two years, Alice was now five years old. If she was still alive.

With another sigh, Roman switched off the monitor of Bo Adams and walked slowly out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

"Stanley fly!"

Bo stared at her green friend intently.

"Move!"

He didn't budge.

"Like this!" She grabbed Stanley by the shell and and made him rise and dive and soar through the air before setting him on her carpeted floor once again.

"Your turn." She smiled sweetly at him, chin on the floor so they'd be at eye level. "Don't be scared, I'm right here," she whispered.

Bo Adams gasped and looked up when another child entered her bedroom. It was as much of a shock that another child chose to be in her room as it was that this other child hadn't used the door to enter, thus making her entrance silent. She'd simply appeared.

Allison looked at the blonde haired kid in front of her and asked, "Where's Roman?"

"Who?"

"Roman!" She yelled.

When Bo gave her a confused look, Allison shook her head in annoyance and ran to the door. With confidence that her loved person would be there she threw it open. No one was there. Allison was crushed. He wasn't there. Wasn't waiting for her. Still...

"Roman!" She yelled, her voice echoing down the hall and carrying through the large estate.

"Roman?"

No answer.

Where would he be? She thought a moment, then turned back to Bo's room.

Allison ran to the window to get a better view. Scanning the landscape she saw a building that looked familiar, yes, she knew what it was. It had to be the main building. If she could get there, she'd find Skouras.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Allison ignored Bo, who was now useless to her, and ran past her, her feet pounding on the floor and making a rhythm pattern down the stairs as she raced to the building's exit. Throwing the front door open, she ran outside into the snow. Not slowing down an inch, she ran across the yard, across the unpaved street and up the steep embankment covered in long blades of dead prairie grass and deep patches of white snow.

Yellow braids flying behind her, Allison gasped for breath, her lungs burning for air, her legs aching for a break. But Allison gave neither. Her goal was the only thing that mattered. Finally seeing the stone bricks and high roof of the main building filled her with new energy.

_THis is it. He's here!_

Her shoes crunched on the gravel drive then patted on the cement walkway. Another step and the heavy wooden door was before her. Allison reached above her head, grabbed onto the solid lead latch and pulled. It didn't move. Grabbing it with both hands, she braced herself and pulled backward with all her weight. Nothing.

Finally, desperate and angry she banged on the door with her fist.

"Open up!" She screamed, her voice sounding bloodied.

She knocked again and pulled, and when nothing happened she decided she was just going to have to break down the door. WIth every intention of destroying it, she heaved her arm backward, ready to break the door down with her bare hands. Her fist approached the hardwood again, and the door swung open as if intimidated.

Happy, Allison's eyes were wide and round, her mouth an o' of awe as she stepped into the front room of the building that felt so familiar. And then, it was. She knew where she was. She knew where Roman's office was. And like that she took off running, making a left hand turn at the breakoff of the main room. And suddenly the memories came back of all the other times she'd run down a hall just like this one, seeking out Roman Skouras.

"Uncle Roman!" She cried, breathless, expecting him to pop out from his office for a joyous and unexpected reunion.

But no one stuck their head out into the hall. Confused and disappointed, Allison didn't let either emotion stop her. Last room on the right.

And there it was. "Dr. Roman Skouras" engraved in plate. Without knocking and with a squeal of joy she flung the door open.

"Roman!" She cried, her face alight with a joy she hadn't felt in years.

Silence and an empty room greeted her. She walked up to the desk chair, clasped onto the thick leather and inhaled deeply. It smelled like him. He had to be nearby. Nearly crying with a mixture of disappointment and panic that she couldn't place, Allison forced herself to close her eyes and concentrate. To find Roman SKouras.

"Little girl?"

Allison gasped, eyes flying open and her concentration popping like a soap bubble. Not that it mattered. She hadn't felt Roman anywhere.

A woman with short red hair stood in front of her.

"Little girl," she smiled, "can I help you?"

Allison didn't recognize her, didn't feel any connection, and this confused her all the more. Something was very very wrong here.

"I," her voice faltered, "I want Roman."

"Dr. Skouras?" The woman's eyes lighted with recognition.

"Zoe! Is the girl in there?" A man's voice called from the hall. The woman turned her face back to the voice, and Allison could hear footsteps. Maybe it was Uncle Roman. She beamed, biting her lower lip and bouncing slightly with barely bridled joy. She'd run to him when he came through the door. When the footsteps came closer and a shadow crossed the threshold, Allison made ready to pounce like a tiger.

She was in mid-movement when a young man, a boy with dark curly hair appeared. The sound that came out of Allison as she forced a stop to her forward momentum was a squeaking mixture of disgust and shock. She drew away from the strange man, stepping backwards towards Roman's chair, reaching out for it blindly behind her, as it could help.

"Who is she?" The boy whispered.

The grown-up woman crouched down on the floor. "Little girl, what's your name?"

Allison opened her mouth to answer, feeling a sense of terror, like a cornered animal. She wasn't safe here, but that was impossible. This was the only safe place she had why would it ever feel anything but safe?

_Get out of there! You have to get out of there! Get away from those people! Run! These people are not safe! You're in danger! Run!_

A woman's stern and insistent voice filled the room. When Allison looked around for its source and found none she realized the voice, that sounded oddly like a mother's, an angry mother's, was in her own head.

_"If they find out who you are you will be hurt. Run away Alyssa!"_

The feeling that she needed to run away became so strong that she obeyed it. In an instant she was dodging the grasping and grabbing arms of the woman and man and running the opposite way down the hall. She passed a dark skinned man that she also didn't recognize, but kept on running. She knew at the end of the hall she'd be safe.

Getting back to her own bedroom was now her goal. Somehow she knew if she could get there, she'd be safe.

When she collided with the heavy stone wall she understood that something was really as wrong as it felt.

"Where's the door?"

She felt along the stone and felt no latch, no opening. Looking to the left and right, she saw no other door, no entrance to the other section of the building, no evidence that there was such a path to her house.

"Where's my room?"

There should have been two doors in front of her, but there were none.

_"Get out of there!"_

The voice cried in her head. Turning around she saw the adults coming out of the office heading towards her. The red haired woman, the dark haired boy and the dark skinned old man. She could hear them talking.

"I don't know who she is, I've never seen her before in my life."

"Some relative? Some relative of one of the subjects here visiting?"

"No one visits here," the dark man's voice was troubled.

"But she knows who Skouras is."

"And she broke through the security door with her mind."

"If she isn't a subject here, then who is she?"

"She clearly needs to be if she isn't."

"Even Bo isn't that strong."

_Bo!_ Seeing the adults approaching, Allison made a mad drive behind a large potted shrub at the side of the hall. Then with all the desperate need inside her she focused on finding the little girl again.

And she was right back in the sunny safe bedroom she'd originally arrived at.

"You're back." Bo looked up from floor where she was sitting and playing with her pet Stanley. Then she asked, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Allison repeated, moving past the maze of her toys to stand in front of the girl.

"Bo," she answered.

Allison looked behind her to Bo's bedroom door. With a sigh of relief she answered,

"I'm Allison,"

"Why are you here?" Bo began to look closely at the other girl. Something wasn't right about her. Like a puzzle with pieces put together the wrong way. All the pieces were there, but still... something was wrong with the picture.

"I don't like where I'm living," Allison answered. "And I need to find my Uncle Roman and another place to stay. So, I thought of a place I felt safe and ended up here. With you."

Bo's eyes lit up. "That's it!" She yelled. "That's what's wrong!"

Allison drew away at the emotional response, recoiling from it.

"That's not your name!" She cried.

"Yes it is," Allison insisted. "I know my own name."

Bo shook her head, a smile spreading along her lips. "No," she answered giddy. "But you don't! You don't!" Her smile turned to a grin as she realized that this was the truth, one of the missing puzzle pieces.

"Look, little girl. I know my own fucking name, okay?"

Bo cringed at Allison's word choice. "How old are you?" She knew she had to be a teenager. She was clearly older than herself.

"I'm six." Allison sat down on Bo's bed as she answered.

No sooner had Allison Cramer sat down on Bo Adams' floral covered bed then the high window flew open, a blue butterfly floating into the room. In a moment the butterfly wasn't a butterfly at all, but Nina Adams, standing in front of the children, wearing her favorite blue kimono top, jeans and butterfly pendant.

Allison stared. But Bo beamed and ran to the woman, arms outstretched.

"Mommy!" She cried and embraced her. Nina, however, put Bo aside, eyes on Allison.

"I told you you can't come back here."

Allison simply looked confused.

"Maybe you don't remember." Nina spoke softly to herself.

"If you found your way back...if Skouras finds you..." She shook her head resolutely then spoke again with conviction. "No. I can't allow that. Whatever else will happen to you in the future, it's better than being dead. If you stay... Skouras will kill you too. He won't mean to, but he will."

Then she knelt down and looked into Bo's eyes.

"I need you to do something for me sweetie, okay?"

Bo nodded eagerly.

"I need you to make this be a dream for her. I need you to take her memories of Skouras and you away so she can't ever come back here again. Take her memories of her mama and papa and home. Take them all away."

"Will she get them back?"

Nina nodded. "When she sees you again, she will."

"Do this for me, Bo. Help her."

Then Nina looked with a mixture of love and anguish at Allison.  
"And I will tell you when it's safe to find Bo again. You made a promise to me when you were little," she prompted, "about Bo."

"I don't know you," Allison was off the bed and backing away, afraid again for a reason unknown to her. "You're a stranger."

Nina simply smiled at her. "Or a dream." She nodded to Bo. Bo walked up to Allison and put a hand over her forehead.

When Allison opened her eyes she was greeted by the ceiling of the orphanage.

"Hey Orphan Annie," Stephanie Davis' voice cried. "How 'bout you get all of us a Daddy Warbucks?"

Heavy laughter followed.

Confused, Allison stood up. In her hand she clutched the torn-out piece of newspaper that contained Roman Skouras' picture and story, the thing that had caused this newest teasing bout.

"That's my dad!" Jeffie's voice immitated, and Allison looked at the picture in her hand. She didn't know why she'd said that. She'd never seen the man in her life.

"You don't have a dad!" Stephanie's voice echoed. "That's why you're here!"

"Yeah, you're an orphan- nobody wants you!"

Allison sighed and crumpled the paper into her tiny hand. Just a dream she realized sadly.

Hi, guys! It took a while for this idea to come to me. Not perfect but you've been waiting so long I wanted to give you all something. Also I thought I should tell the two of you who are still reading that my dad just died, part of the reason I stopped writing. Our relationship was complicated, unfortunately complicated. As far as this story is concerned, I drew everything about Allison's relationship with Skouras from that with my own father. I don't know how this will affect the story or my writing, but I have a feeling that it will. You've been warned.


	10. Chapter 10

"This is Bo, remember?" His voice was soft and full of love as he stared down not at Bo, but at Alice, standing on the tops of his shoes, tiny hands gripping to the bars of Bo's crib. It had been several months since he'd taken Alice to see Bo. He could hardly wait to see what would happen when the girls combined the force of their powers. Not that Bo was old enough to exhibit any, but she would in time. Genetics didn't lie.

"See?"

Skouras' strong hands lifted her and she rose up, up, until she could see the baby sleeping in the crib. There was no sound but that of the baby's breathing mixed with Alice and Skouras' own.

"Bo." He repeated. "Say hi to Bo."

Alice grinned and reached out a hand, eagerly, to touch Bo's face. As she reached out her chubby toddler hand rays of light emanated from her fingers, falling on the baby's face like sunshine.

Alice, fingers extended, managed to touch Bo's forehead just as a startled Roman Skouras rapidly drew her back.

"Alice, what did you do?" His voice was harsh in his fear. After all there was no telling exactly what Alice was capable of.

But, Alice simply smiled a toothy grin, her eyes flashing like tiny sparks.

"Mine!"

"Mine!" She crowed, kicking her feet. "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

"Okay," Skouras laughed, relieved that whatever Alice had inadvertently done hadn't harmed Bo. "She can be yours to play with when you come over here. But," he cautioned, "don't tell Mama about our little visits okay? It will be our secret that I take you to see the baby."

Alice Adams didn't give a good god-damn about Skouras' piddly concerns and let him know so with a scornful tone of voice and phrase. "I no care! It mine! Mine!" She hit Bo on the foot in emphasis. Bo awoke then and began to scream, kicking her feet and flailing her arms, not accustomed to being awoken by physical pain.

Alice wrinkled her nose and drew her body as far away from the noise as possible, burying her face into Roman's chest, eliciting another laugh from Skouras.

"You still want her now?" He joked. Her little face contorted in distaste Alice now shook her head and squirmed to be let down.

"It noise!" She shouted, covering her ears with her hands.

In a moment Bo settled herself back to sleep, and Skouras picked Alice back up, a new question on his mind.

"Do you know who she is?" He whispered, holding Alice above Bo's sleeping form once again.

"Her noisy!" She asserted.

Skouras smiled, remembering Alice's inherent stubborn nature. "You do know, don't you? You do," he grinned. "Tell me who she is."

"Mine toy!"

With a sigh of frustration Skouras answered, "That's not what I mean, Alice. That's not at all what I mean, and you know it."

"Her mine toy," she repeated, looking into SKouras' eyes with an expression that delighted in knowing the truth and not saying it, being purposely obtuse. Her cackle of joy at Skouras repeated sigh only cemented this fact.

"Her be mine toy."

"You know Alice, I adore you, but I am certain at times like this that your only joy in life is tormenting me." He thought of the flowers he'd asked her to grow the other day and her delight in not doing so. He knew this was a part of a toddler's natural growth in learning, and the joy that the power of disobedience brought. Lately this was proving to be more fun for Alice than almost anything else.

It was hard to keep a straight face as Alice's blue eyes stared at him while her smile widened slowly like the Cheshire cat.

"Dr. Skouras?"

The knock on his closed office door startled him out of the dream. Skouras stifled the urge to cry or scream in rage at the disturbance.

"What is it?" His voice was acid. The only time he could see Alice now was in his dreams. And some days he wasn't even allowed that.

"Uh," Corey's voice was pathetically whiney and hesitant, "I know your flight just got in Dr. Skouras, I'm sorry to bother you, but..."

"But what?" His sigh of annoyance was audible as he rose to his feet, straightened the objects on his desk so it didn't appear that he'd dozed off, and opened the door.

Corey stood there, pathetic and eager as a puppy. He held out a laptop in offering.

"There's something here I think you should see."

Skouras shot him a scathing look of disgust and annoyance, but it didn't seem to help as Corey opened his mouth to continue talking.

"A little girl was here the other day looking for you. She didn't match up with any of our residents. She knew you, and she displayed powers while here."

At 'little girl' Roman's heart jumped. He leaned forward, and grabbed the laptop Corey held open. He hit play.

Skouras watched the survelliance footage that showed none other than Alice running up the front path and pounding on the door. Then the door opened spontaneously. Then there was more footage of her running down the hall to his office.

Tears were forming in his eyes. Rapidly he brushed them away with the back of his hand.

"She's so strong." The words leaving his mouth were a whisper, but he shone with pride and joy of knowing she was really alive. For once, he wasn't speaking about her powers alone.

"Where is she?" He barely dared to hope. "Where did she come from? How did she get here?"

"We don't know. She disappeared."

"Find her!" He snapped. "Use your other footage!"

Corey made a few taps on the laptop. There was nothing to be seen but the falling snow on the estate landscape.

"There!" Roman pointed to Bo's bedroom window.

Corey paused and keyed in the video. "There's movement there, and...thirty seconds later you can see the girl leaving the building-"

"Heading for here, for me." Skouras's voice was soft, as if only speaking to himself. Admittedly and sadly he wasn't sure if she wanted to find him so that she could exact revenge ie kill him, or if all her memories of that night had been repressed. In which case, she'd only want to hug and 'cuddo'. Even if that weren't the case, Roman was certain it would take little convincing to get her to believe he'd not shot Natalie Adams and her husband in cold blood. After all, he'd only been trying to protect Alice, to look out for her best interest. And her best interest was to stay safely at Symphonique.

"We can search the north boundary and then-"

"No," Skouras held up a hand. "This problem has an easy solution." He began walking put made a stop motion with his hand, indicating he didn't want or need the boy's following.

"Bo will know where she is."

Bo was sitting at her tea table across from Zoe, in Bo's personal livingroom. Skouras paid no mind, and lifted her out of the chair and deposited her on the floor in front of him.

"Bo," he crouched on the floor, closer to the height of the four year old, "do you remember the little girl that came here the other day?"

It was a good tactic, he knew.

Bo had looked at him, eyes wide with fear. Then she'd looked off to the side, into thin air, as if looking to someone else for advice. When that proved unhelpful, she decided to stay silent, and look at the floor.

"Bo, I need your help. I need to find her."

Bo shook her head.

Skouras moved closer, grasping Bo's chin and tilting it up till she looked into his eyes.

"Tell me where Alice is. You saw her. She was here."

That got a wide smile and a laugh from Bo. "I told her it wasn't her name!" She laughed until she fell over. "I told her!"

Skouras latched onto this.

"So, she was here."

Bo stopped laughing and looked pained, as if she'd done the wrong thing.

"Where did she go?"

"I dunno."

Feeling desperate and caged, Skouras grabbed Bo by the shoulders and shook her. "Tell me!"

"Roman!" Zoe's voice was like the scream of a hawk, and she was on her feet, a hand outstretched to stop any other action from him.

Bo began to cry and sank down into a ball on the floor. "I can't tell!" She sobbed. "I can't tell!"

It wasn't the answer he'd wanted, but at least it confirmed that Bo did know where Alice was. After all, she didn't say she didn't know.

"Can you bring her here?" He increased the volume of his voice, not caring that Bo was upset, only wanting answers, and Alice. "Can you bring her back?"

"Roman!" Milton's sudden voice in the room was a sharp bark. Roman'd heard him enter the room when Bo began to cry, but paid it no mind.

He rose to his feet to face him. "You don't know, Milton. You have no idea who this other girl is."

"Your niece?" Milton let the word sound as if he knew something about that were a lie. The twinkle in his eye confirmed it.

Roman looked at him sharply. If he found out about Symphonique, it could be the end of it.

But Milton smiled mildly, like a cat who's caught a mouse. "I saw the curls at the end of those braids. And I remember the girl you brought in to see Bo, a head full of curly blonde hair. A girl you told me was your niece. Besides," there was a darkness to his tone, "I've never known you to show such real concern and affection towards another living being as you showed to that little girl."

"I need to know where she is!"

Milton's voice was cool and measured. "You won't get that information from Bo," he answered. "She doesn't have it."

It was a lie and Roman knew it.

"I don't have to put up with this." Without another word Roman turned and walked out of the residence. Once outside however, he grabbed his Symphonique cell phone and dialed. If Alice would go anywhere, it would be home.

"Alice was spotted 300 miles south of Symphonique," he spoke. "Send out the search party again. Get the dogs too. Comb every inch of those woods and every corner of every building. Find her. Bring her home."

Already he was thinking of the pillow that he kept in an airtight bag, with everything else that still held her scent. Sure, it was supposed to be helpful for the dogs to use, but really, Skouras got more comfort from the fact that when he really missed his Alice, he could hold onto her pillow, inhale deeply and remember the little girl he loved.


	11. Chapter 11

He smiled at the image emerging from Nina's pencil.

"That's beautiful." He pointed. "Who's the little girl?"

Nina paused, and thought a moment before finally answering, "Her name is Alice."

In the stack of sketches he saw Nina with her sister Natalie. More sketches of a curly-haired toddler, laughing and smiling, then dark, sinister images of the same girl alone and broken.

Milton flipped to the next sketch. Nina made no move to stop him. The next picture was much the same as Milton had seen in the past months- it was what Nina's daughter would look like as a child. Her with himself, Skouras and Zoe. Then the next page pictures of Bo running, and Bo running with him. It was disturbing. Pictures of her running away...from what it wasn't certain, but running. Always running. With Nina's boyfriend, with Milton, but running. The last picture in the stack was of an older Bo grinning, facing an older version of the curly haired child, both grinning, hands clasped to each other. It was the only picture he'd seen of older Bo where she was not running.

"What's this one about?" He pointed to it.

"You'll see," she answered, not looking up. "Not soon. But someday."

He looked at another picture.

"You have a lot of pictures of these girls."

"I know," she answered sadly.

"Why?" Milton knew enough about Nina Adams to know that her drawings were never just drawings, they had significance. More than that, they often proved to be prophetic.

She gave a heavy sigh. "They're important. In the future. You'll see them."

She put her pencil down and looked up earnestly at Milton. Milton saw her wide blue eyes like deep pools full of despair.

"Milton, promise me," she repeated. "No matter what happens. You will protect her. Take her away if you need to. Do whatever it takes to keep Bo safe."

Milton knelt on the floor and clasped her hand in both of his own. "OF course I will," he answered,smiling into her distraught face. "You know I will, Nina. Bo will always be safe with me."

Nina sighed again, tearing her gaze from Milton's and glancing again at a picture of a curly haired toddler. "And her too," she admitted sadly, as if asking too much. "She won't have anyone else."

"What? Nina what are you talking about?"

"I won't be here," she choked back a sob, "and soon neither will Natalie."

"You'll find her," she explained. "She'll-" Nina struggled to find the right words to describe what she knew would happen in the future, it was vague, but she knew that something terrible would happen to her sister, and leave Alice alone in the world.

"When Bo needs her," she tried again, more hopeful at the new image in her mind, "When you need her, Alice will show up. Protect them,"she finished. "Protect them both."

The sound of a knock on the metal door frame stopped their conversation. As they were turning their heads to the sound they heard,

"Well Nina, are you ready to show the world just what the power of thought can do?"

Roman Skouras stood in the doorway, tall and confident, his face shining with anticipation.

Nina was hesitant. "I'll do my best, Dr. Skouras."

"We all hope so," he grinned at their private joke. Though Skouras could call off the drone if Nina changed her mind, Milton knew that Skouras would do all that he could to see that Nina didn't.

As if reading Milton's mind, Skouras added, "Just imagine," he drew out the words as if painting a picture with delicate strokes, "being able to show, really demonstrate that the power of evil can be destroyed with simply the wish to do so. Imagine what this can do for the world. No more war, no more suffering."

Skouras walked forward to Nina and held out his hand.

"Ready?"

Nina seemed resigned. "Yes, Dr. Skouras." Her tone showed only sad acceptance.

That stopped Skouras in his tracks. His face now tight with worry he asked, "Are you doubting yourself Nina?" Panic was in his voice.

Nina gave a heavy, exhausted sigh as she took Skouras' hand and allowed him to help pull her to her feet, her stomach becoming unweildy making things like standing and sitting feats unto themselves.

"No," she answered softly, but she didn't meet his gaze.

Concerned, Skouras moved closer to her, then reached out his other hand, the one not still grasping Nina's, and tilted her chin up until she was looking into his eyes.

"Do you think you won't be able to destroy the missel?"

Still sad, and still exhausted Nina slowly shook her head. "No, Dr. Skouras, I know that I can."

"Then, what's the problem?"

Another sigh. "Nothing." Another sigh. "I'm ready."

His forehead drawing in concern and worry, looking intently at her, Skouras stared at her for a long moment, until Nina had mustered up a fake smile, gave an easier sigh and smiled at him.

"Ready to do this?"

She nodded.

Motioning to the door Skouras added, "Just a quick exam and we'll be on our way." He led her away. "On our way to ending war and violence the world over. On our way to showing what a hopeful heart and mind can do for peace."

While Skouras continued to drone on, Nina followed next to him, then paused in the door and looked back at Milton, panic stricken.

"Promise me, Milton. Promise!"

The need in her wide eyes struck him to his core and left him feeling rattled. All he could do was nod, feeling suddenly choked, so that he gasped for breath.

A rapid buzzing made Milton jump with fright. Seeing darkness suddenly instead of the light filled conference room with Nina's sketches, Milton was bewildered. A blink of his eyes brought focus to the alarm clock in front of him, and with it drew him back to the present with the same urgent need he'd felt back then. Shutting the alarm off, Nina's plea mingled with the screams and sobs of her ten year old daughter.

This is it, he told himself. Today is the day.

"I'm keeping that promise, Nina," he announced softly in the darkness.

With that he rose with a feeling of right and determination, his muscles tight, prepared for action. Everything was in place. Every one. Grabbing Nina's sketches off his bedside table, he went to get Bo. This was it. They would never return to Orchestra. Milton would die before he allowed that to happen.

-Where is everyone? No one's reviewing, so I guess no one's read this far yet?


	12. Chapter 12

K- for this to make sense- Bea Miller from X factor used to look A LOT like an older version of Bo. Search Bea Miller X factor on YT and you'll see what I mean. This isn't the chapter I wanted, but...it will get the story going faster and Bo and Alice together again. It's taking forever to get to the part I want. Also waiting till people review,because I don't wanna move on till I know everyone's done reading and ready for more.

Fall 2013, State Home for Children:

"Hey, I was watching that! Turn it back!"

The screaming was nothing unusual. Allison had gotten used to being back in the over-crowded orphanage. It had been years since anyone had tried to take her out, tried to foster her. She was now, at age ten, what they called a lifer. She'd never get out, never be adopted, too old and too strange to be wanted.

But the orphanage was okay. She was safer here than she'd been in most of the foster homes. At least for now. Allison knew something bad was going to happen to her in the future, but she didn't know what. Although it wasn't surprising, she'd had more horrible things done to her than most people had in lifetimes.

"She's totally gonna win."

"You kidding me? She's a loser. She's pathetic!"

"No, she's not! She'd got the best voice and she's the prettiest!"

"You kids get your homework done for school?" The sound of obligatory concern from the building supervisor floated into the room from far down the hall, the first and last words of concern they'd hear from her all day.

"Yes!" The group echoed in unison, prompting, as usual, silence from the adult staff.

_"You knock me down, but I get up."_

Allison glanced up from the chair she was stuffed into, up from an old copy of Anne of Green Gables. What she saw on the screen made her jump out of her chair and throw her beloved book to the ground.

_"I'm bullet-proof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away."._

"I know her!" Allison screamed, racing up to the television, touching it, inadvertently reaching though the screen itself in an attempt to touch the girl. Fortunately this action went unseen, as her body blocked view. Allison pulled her hand from the tv and sealed the hole instantly, feeling foolish.

_"You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium."_

"You don't know her! You don't know anyone!"

"I do too, I know her!" She continued to stare at the screen open-mouth, until a hand pushed her sideways.

Move! You're blocking the tv!"

"What's her name then, if you know who she is?"

Allison opened her mouth, ready to speak the name she knew, but nothing came out.

Sneers and chuckles sounded behind her.

"I knew it. You don't know her."

Bristling with anger, Allison sullenly sat back down in her chair, her face dark, drawing her knees to her chest.

"Who is she, then?"

"The winner of X Factor," Amelia insisted.

"No, Carly's gonna win it."

"You're both wrong, it's gonna be that Willy Jones!"

Everyone laughed at the way Steve said the name.

"Bea's gonna win," Camden repeated.

Allison straightened up, eyebrows raising, the correct name coming to her.

"Bo?" She asked.

"No," Camden shook her head, "Bea. Like a bee."

"Oh." Allison sighed, but kept staring at the screen. She got up and headed for bed, trying to think of why this all mattered so much. Why did the girl singing on the show seem so familiar?

That night she had the nightmare again about being chased through the woods by a wolf. She woke up screaming, but it was still better than real life. In real life she just got chased by people. Foster parents who touched and raped her. And insecure, stupid kids at school who made fun of her and said vicious things simply because she didn't have parents, or a home to go home to.

"Cretains." She muttered.

"Hey, stop speaking French and screaming and go back to sleep." The murmur carried across the dormatory style room.

"Sorry," she whispered, covering her face with a sheet. She closed her eyes and saw the blonde haired confident girl singing again.

_"You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium..."_

_"Alice?" _The word made Allison wake from a sleep she didn't know she was in.

_"It's time. Don't forget your promise. Find Bo."_

No one in the dormitory was speaking, that was for sure. And Allison knew better than to ask, "Did anyone else hear that?"

Opening her eyes she saw a young woman with blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair standing at the side of her bed.

"Remember your promise?" She asked. Her eyes and smile were kind, even familiar.

"You're crazy," she muttered and yawned ready to go back to sleep.

The woman gave a short laugh. "You used to say that about me back then too. So did your mom, for that matter. It's time. Bo needs you. Find her."

The thought of sleep vanished.

"You knew my mom?" She asked.

But the woman was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

So, I changed stuff a little. I got bored with the other story and didn't want to keep looking back to see what I wrote. lol. And personally things suck right now and I need a distraction. So, here I am. Also, does ANYONE know whare I can watch episodes of Believe online? No netflix and amazon isn't working. I also have NO ACCESS to the last and most important episode. Anyone know where they can be found, and somewhere I won't get my computer full of viruses, that'd be much appreciated. It's hard to write chapters about episodes just from memory. But, I'm trying.

The din from the tweleve plus orphans in the house was something Allison was used to. She heard them now, all gathered in the livingroom around the tv set. Not liking crowds of any sort, Allison preferred to be off by herself. Usually she was reading a French book, working on her Spanish, or writing stories. But today she saught out the rare solitude of the house den. She and others were often sent to 'foster homes' like this, which weren't really foster homes at all, merely an extension of the main orphanage, but used to give the children the occassional feel of a home. No one hung out in the den. The rumor was that it was haunted, and Allison made sure that rumor was well maintained, especially when she wanted a little privacy. It was a dusty room that was used as a storage room, really just filled with old junk that never sold at the orphanage rummage sales, like the old tv set in front of Allison now.

Allison turned the dial on the tv. It was old, super old. Old enough that a remote wouldn't work. But when Allison turned the dial, she saw things.

Now a little girl with dark blond hair in a green sweatshirt appeared on the screen, walking out of a corner shop.

"We need to go to 1422 Oswald Street." She said this as she walked out onto the sidewalk, followed by a skinny man with wavy brown hair.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her like she was crazy. And they just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk as people are cars zoomed past them.

"I need to tell Dr. Terry about Senga."

The guy just lost it and wheeled on the kid. "Can you shut up and listen to me ya little brat? No one cares! No wonder you got 20 foster parents!"

Allison gasped her eyes and mouth making three perfect circles of shock, then laughed in surprise. No one talks to kids like that on tv. But intruiged it was a show about a foster kid, she kept watching.

The little girl turned on the man with equal venom.

"You're mean, and you're being stupid, and you have anger problems!"

"Good one," Allison nodded and chuckled.

Grey loud static filled the screen. Allison hit the box on the side several times before it shut up. But the picture was gone. Quickly she turned the television dial, letting it click through each station, but nothing showed up on the screen.

"Damn it," she hissed.

She stood up and walked to the door. It wouldn't do for anyone to see her in this room, after all. "Maybe it'll be on later." It was a consoling thought. The idea of seeing anyone on tv like her, a foster kid that no one wanted, was very appealing.

The sound of voices woke Allison up again that night. But when she opened her eyes, she saw only the dark outlines of her dorm room, the familiar shapes of the double and triple bunk beds and the various sleeping forms of the girls who inhabited them. Sleeping on one of the bottom bunks herself, it was an easy matter to roll out of bed and leave the room without anyone noticing; which she did in short order.

As she walked carefully in her bare feet, the wood floor felt cool, and oddly comforting. The idea of being awake or wandering a house at night might be an unappealing thought to some people, but Allison relished the solitude and the dark as well. It made her feel invisible, and safe.

She stopped still in her tracks when the voices sounded again, muffled, but vaguely familiar. Allison stood still and listened, turning her head and focusing her ears to find the sound. It took only a moment.

Downstairs, The den. She moved easily down the steps gliding past the creaky spots to the main floor of the house. It wasn't hard to find the den, as it was lit up, as if from a running television set. Sure enough when Allison entered the small space, the old television, on top of the chest of drawers, was turned on. And showing on the screen was the same little girl and the same man she'd seen before.

"All right!" She yelled in her excitement, then froze a moment and clapped a hand over her mouth. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for sounds from the upstairs rooms, or lights, or voices saying her solitude had been broken.

Finally convinced of continued solitude, she nonetheless creeped slowly towards the tv, blinking in the light.

"Is he gonna be my new foster dad?" The girl was looking at a tall, older black man.

"In a second, sweetheart." The black man was giving most of his attention to the angry skinny guy.

"He stinks."

He threw his hands up and yelled,  
"I fell in a sewer! I told you!"

Then he looked back at the other man.

"See? She doesn't want to be with me!"

Allison turned the channel dial backward. Another smile as she saw the little girl again, in a hospital gown, creeping around in the night. Another turn of the dial showed the same girl, lying in a hospital bed, the angry guy sitting over her.

"What's your name?"

"Tate."

"You were crying."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

"Well I hit my head, it hurts."

"No it doesn't. Those bruises are fake."

"How do you know?"

"Cuz you're not feeling any pain."

Remembering the other channel, Allison quickly turned the dial back. There she saw the little girl running up to a dangerous looking woman and screaming for all she was worth.

Allison's mouth dropped open as she watched an enormous flock of pigeons, commanded by the scream, engulf the woman.

"This is a cool show," she whispered the pronouncement to the empty room.

A sudden thud made her jump with fright, and instantly turn the tv off. Though when she touched the off knob she realized the television was already turned to off. The sound of a car speeding off got her attention again.

With a glance upstairs, Allison crept to the front door. Opening it she saw that the noise had been the daily paper hitting the door, having been thrown from the window of the car of a passing newsperson.

Bending down the chill of the morning air didn't bother her in the slightest. Turning the paper over and opening it up she saw two large pictures on the cover page. The people she'd just been watching on tv.

William Tate, escaped death row inmate.

Amber Alert, Missing 10 year old girl, Bo Adams.

"Bo," she whispered.

Allison stared hard at the picture of the smiling girl, trying to think of why she seemed so familiar.

"Bo," she whispered, "I know I know her."

Softly she closed the door as she re-entered the house. As she did so she heard the girl, Bo's voice saying, "What's rule number two?"

"Do everything I say." The man, William Tate's voice was gruff and exasperated.

"But what if we live in an igloo, and you have a cold and can't smell, and you tell me to light a candle , but I smell gas?"

"Ya know what? Light the candle."

Allison laughed until she fell over.


	14. Chapter 14

This chap is directly after Bo saves Ben in the train station, as well as after Allison arriving to visit Bo.

"You read her? Milton, you know you're not supposed to do that!"

Channing's dark eyes managed to flash with barely restrained emotion as she sat face to face with Milton in the large loft space, easily darkening in the night, too high above the street lights to be more than marginally lit by them.

"It's easy," he whispered, "with her. It's easier." They spoke softly, the murderer (as Channing still thought of him), and now two young girls were fast asleep; Tate sleeping at the far end of the room, and the young girl with Bo.

"I don't think she'd want you reading her."

Milton chuckled, his face cracking a slow smile. "She didn't take kindly to it once she realized that I was doing so-"

"Milton she can hurt you!" Channing's voice rang out as she rose from her seated position in a heat of worry. Once up, she realized her mistake, and closed her mouth as she sat back down, feeling slightly sheepish.

"I know that!" He hissed. "Don't you think I know that? She's proven not just her strength but that she does have the power to kill any one of us- she showed that the moment she saw me. Think, Miss Channing, just think what a man like Skouras could do with someone that powerful."

Channing gave a wry grin. "If she's as strong as that, I don't think she'd even need to worry about Skouras."

Winter's expression changed from worried to contemplative. He stoked his chin with his thumb and forefinger and nodded slowly. "You may be right."

Channing waited until she couldn't bear not knowing any longer and her curiosity got the best of her.

"Well, as long as you already saw it you might as well tell me. what did you see?"

"Being here with Bo must be some sort of memory trigger," his voice was low as if talking to himself. "I saw things easily. I saw Bo, and Tate. And then I saw myself ten years younger and Skouras as well."

"Skouras?" Channing wrinkled her nose.

"Yes," he looked into Channing's eyes feeling her fear. "This was a child under Roman Skouras' care one way or another."

Milton looked up and over at the bed Bo was now sharing with Allison. Allison had one arm flung around Bo's sleeping form. She'd been helpful, he had to admit, when they'd returned with a traumatized Bo, after she'd been forced to protect the writer, Ben. Thankfully, both he and his wife were long gone. Now all Winter had to worry about, once again was Bo, and now possibly this other child.

"Do you think it's true what Bo said? That they knew each other before?"

He nodded. "I believe so, Miss Channing."

"But how? You said she was never a part of the Orchestra program."

PAGE BREAK BECAUSE FF WON"T LET YOU MAKE OR USE ONE...

"Gentlemen, this little girl is a shining example of what the combination of genetics and my personal work can accomplish."

Roman Skouras was so full of self confidence and pride that it made the people in the room want to hit him.

He was standing in a secluded office in the Pentagon, facing a circular table of the country's finest military minds, all clad in their traditional attire, chests sparkling with medals, for the most part. Directly in front of Skouras, stood his favorite subject.

"A little girl?" A white haired general scoffed. "Mister Skouras, it is not that difficult to produce a child. Just ask anyone."

Skouras chuckled as if he was amused, but he glared slightly and ruffled at the intentional deletion of his title.

"This is no ordinary child."

All the officers eyes met across the circular table and said their disbelief loud and clear.

"Well," a middle aged naval admiral with a dry voice and even drier looking face began, "what can this kid of yours do, Skouras?"

It was a challenge.

When she realized all eyes were on her, Alice looked up at Roman.

Roman Skouras looked across the table at Admiral Ross, who always coordinated these briefings, then back down at Alice.

"Alice, do you see the glass globe on the table by Admiral Ross?" He looked in the direction he wanted her to look.

She nodded.

"Admiral, if you would, please throw the globe over to me."

A brown- clad man gave a sneering laugh. "This is his replacemant for the pregnant girl?"

Skouras bristled inwardly, filled with guilt and anger. Nina had died less than a month ago. His emotions were still raw and volitile.

While Skouras seethed, Ross stood and finally tossed the paper weight in an under hand arc across the expansive table.

Skouras made no move to intercept the object.

"Alice," Roman whispered. "Catch it!"

The crystal globe froze in mid air for a few seconds before slowly being lowered. Alice took the sphere in her hands.

Admiral Ross gave a half-smile.

"That's all well and good Mister Skouras, but I don't hope you expect us all the accept a cheap parlor trick to replace the task we've asked for."

"Not at all, Admiral," his confidence only increased with the man's doubt. "And, I assure you, it's no cheap trick."

He looked back down at Alice. "Alice, give Admiral Ross his globe back."

"Him want his toy?"

Muffled laughter sounded from the circle as Skouras answered in the affirmative.

Alice gave a shrug, then toddled across the table towards the man who'd thrown the round object in her hands. Skouras smiled as she approached the center of the table- as indeed there was no center, the circular table had a large section missing in the middle.

Several of the men cried out and jumped to their feet, arms futilely outstretched to save the toddler as Alice walked to the end of the table top and stepped towards the edge. It would be at least a four foot drop if she fell. Yet, she toddled the rest of the way on top of the air just as if it were solid. Then her Mary Jane shoes clicked in a stacatto sound as she crossed over to the other side of the table and handed the globe to the shocked Admiral towering over her.

"I'll be God-damned," he stared at her wide eyed.

"Hewe you toy", she answered holding it, waiting for him to take it back. Slowly, still staring wide-eyed at the tiny blonde child as if she'd bite him, he took the paperweight from her outstretched hands.

"How the hell'd she do that?"

Skouras smiled like a cheshire cat. "That's nothing."


End file.
